Review on Dorman 673 439 Integrated Catalytic Converter by Roger Diaz

If you live in California like me you know that having a CARB stamped catalytic converter/manifold is now mandatory. Internally, the CARB-approved exhaust is no different than the generic 49-state exhaust. The difference is that the manufacturer is "permitted" to stamp the distributor stating that it is California approved. This means that the manufacturer had to pay a large amount for testing and validating the collector design. The higher price we pay is the permit fee passed on to us. Gone are the days of installing universal catalytic converters as the government loves this revenue stream. Luckily, this catalyst isn't as expensive as some of the other brands that carry the Carb EO#. Carb EO # is engraved on the plate just in front of the heat shield. Revain's stock photo doesn't show this, but I've included a photo to show you the location. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo, on the day of installation I used the phone's camera with dirty hands. As you can also see in my pictures it comes with all the gaskets needed for a start to finish installation. This includes the exhaust manifold gasket, the manifold gasket to the catalytic converter gasket and the downpipe o-ring. The kit includes screws to attach the upper part of the manifold to the catalytic converter itself, this is not one piece as shown in the picture. It also comes with screws to attach the upper heat shield to the header. Finally, it has standard screws to attach the catalytic part to your car's existing downpipe. Some other posters gave this kit a lower rating because it didn't come with exhaust manifold bolts or because their bolts broke when removing existing bolts. diverse. These studs are never supplied with an exhaust kit and are not included if you bought the part from a dealer. If you break these studs or the dealer does, you will be charged extra. I strongly recommend buying and altering them separately. This is a precautionary step, but there is a high possibility that they will break during installation. These studs become brittle from years of engine heat and can break when torque is applied. To install the header you will need a standard USA made wrench set. You will also need a wrench to remove the oxygen sensors. My gauge was #19 metric, but the gauge has been replaced in the past and may not be the same size as yours. You will also need a #12 ratcheting box wrench to remove two nuts that cannot be reached with any other wrench or extension set you have. These nuts are located between the first and fourth outlets with a hole that gives you very limited movement. Buy a PB Blaster, don't use WD40. The PB Blaster is specially designed to penetrate the threads of stubborn nuts or rusty bolts. Without a PB fuse, you can fret because you can't get the nut to move or break the bolt with too much force. Don't forget to apply anti-seize to the oxygen sensor threads when you reinstall it. Without high-pressure protection, it will hardly be possible in the future to remove the lambda probe without damaging the catalytic converter. I love Honda cars, but I hate arbitrary California laws. My old cat worked perfectly and passed the sniff test, but since my car had a universal header from the previous owner, I couldn't see through the smoke visually. I highly recommend this set. You won't get a performance boost, but I got through the smog right away when the referee checked Carb EO# on it.